When the seemingly indestructible Kobe Bryant went down with a torn Achilles tendon, no one was quite sure what to expect for his return.

At 34, Bryant is at an advanced age to rehab and return with the same ability and athleticism. The Lakers projected Bryant to come back at 6-9 months after he had surgery on April 13.

Because Bryant has played with and through so many injuries, it's easy to imagine he would hit the earlier part of that prognosis, but Bryant recently said on ESPN 710 Radio that he wants to return in November or December, which would be 7-8 months.

In fact, Dr. Ken Huh, an orthopedic surgeon in Long Beach, Calif., said nine months minimum is typically what he would expect for a player of Bryant’s ilk to return to full health.

Next, one has to ask what state in which Bryant will return to the court and how he should be brought along. He certainly won’t be able to play the type of minutes he did to end 2012-13, when he averaged 45.2 minutes in six April games.

Bryant has proved more durable than most over the course of his 17-year career. He has played 1,239 regular-season games and logged 220 playoff games en route to seven NBA Finals appearances. He has won five NBA titles.

And yet, even with all the mileage and accolades, Bryant is already thinking he wants to come “back next season with a vengeance,” according to an ESPN.com source. And, more importantly, he wants “two more cracks at it to win seven NBA titles at least.”